It’s been an exciting week for Kingsport City Schools!  Amidst all the great academic work, athletic accomplishments, and snow forecast watching, our new Superintendent, Dr. Jeff Moorhouse, began his tenure leading KCS on Friday, February 2.  Dr. Moorhouse comes to Kingsport via Greeneville City Schools, where he served as Director of Schools since 2015.

This week, the Saturday Six introduces you to our new leader, taking a look at his history, experience, and expectations for KCS!

1. Dr. Moorhouse’s professional experience covers a wide range of settings, including teaching at the elementary, middle, high, and college levels and serving as an administrator in both school and district positions.  He’s been a school administrator in Unicoi County, South Carolina, and Hamblen County (TN), including an 11-year tenure as principal at Morristown West High School.  In 2015, Dr. Moorhouse made the shift to district administration, taking the role of Director of Schools in Greeneville City Schools.
2. An honors graduate from Johnson County High School in 1987, Dr. Moorhouse holds a Bachelor’s degree from Milligan College (1991), a Masters of Arts in Teaching from East Tennessee State University (1992), and a Doctorate in Educational Leadership from ETSU (2002).
3. While Director of Schools in Greeneville, the district was repeatedly honored by a variety of organizations.  The district was recognized as an AP Honor District, a top district in Tennessee in the annual Niche Rankings and by Business Insider, and was ranked 9th in the United States by the Center for Digital Education for innovative uses of technology.  Under his leadership, Greeneville City Schools also received the College Board’s Gaston Caperton Award… one of only 130 districts in America to be recognized for exemplary work in increasing opportunities for underrepresented student populations.
4. Dr. Moorhouse also has a long history of successful program development focusing on student achievement and opportunity.  He has led work on an expansion of industry certification programs, created an elementary behavioral intervention and transition program, led the development of a virtual learning academy, as well as creation of a program of college visits and tours involving a medical school, law school, and veterinary school to expose students to professional school opportunities and expectations.
5. If you ask Dr. Moorhouse, he will likely list his family as his greatest accomplishment, including his wife and two college-age daughters.  When Dr. Moorhouse isn’t at work or involved with one of the many professional organizations in which he is a member, you may very well find him reading, fishing, trap shooting, playing golf, or just generally being outdoors!
6. What will be Dr. Moorhouse’s priorities as he begins his superintendency of KCS?  Building relationships, being able to positively impact students and families, and supporting the current successful work of the district are the items most frequently mentioned when he’s been asked that question since being selected as superintendent.

To help welcome Dr. Moorhouse to Kingsport, the community is invited to a reception in his honor on Thursday, February 8, 2018 at 5:15 p.m. in the KCS Administrative Support Center Tennessee Room (400 Clinchfield Street, 3rd floor).  The reception will take place immediately prior to the February Board of Education meeting, which begins at 6 p.m.

Next week in the Saturday Six:  From 1913-1966, Douglass High School played a vital role in the life and development of Kingsport.  When it closed in 1966, Douglass was the largest African-American high school in Upper East Tennessee.  The school’s heritage lives on today through the Sons and Daughters of Douglass.  Next week, we’ll learn more about this important organization and how it continues to support the students of Kingsport.